Vacation!
by To Be A Necessity
Summary: After Eli and Clare's breakup, Alli sends Clare and herself on a trip to the USA to forget about Clare's past. Too bad her past comes with her. "I never thought I'd say this, but I thought God had taken you from me." Kidnapping, love & death ensues.
1. Prologue

**This is just a prologue for the story, and don't worry, the story will be posted again tonight and I haven't given up on _Only Hope_; I just needed a happier story-line at the moment.**

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_A flower is of delicacy; so much delicacy that once you touch it, the flower will break._

_The flower can never grow again once its delicacy and pureness has been destroyed, and will remain the scarred flower it is until winter comes, cleaning the flower from its place in Mother Nature._

"Alli," I whined, watching her open my suitcase.

"You need this, Clare." She said, already packing for me. "You need to go out and see the world! You need to go and forget about all your bad boyfriends."

I rolled my eyes. "I've only had one bad boyfriend, Alli. Eli was actually nice."

She hastily laughed and continued to pack at a fast rate; I couldn't believe that she was actually _forcing_ me to go on vacation with her to the United States. She had just appeared at my front door with a mischievous grin, and before I knew it here we were; packing my things without _my_ help.

"Eli was nice, yes, but you need to forget about him! There are so many other boys out there that are better for you!"

I shook my head. "I'm not ready for another relationship." I protested.

Alli looked up at me, her brown eyes glinting with annoyance. "You are." She retorted.

"But I don't-"

"Look, Clare," she started as she stopped packing. "You need this. You tend to… to hold onto the past; your relationships, your family, everything. Well, this is what you need. You deserve it." I couldn't help but feel the truth of her words roll over me, sending me into a calm relaxed state. I had been looking back at all the bad things that had happened to me, that I hadn't looked at what I was actually missing—the present.

I breathed out a smile. "You're right, Alli." I said, receiving an _I'm-always-right_ grin. "I _do_ need to forget about my past."

"There's my Clare." She laughed, beckoning me to help her back my belongings.

And all I knew was that I couldn't wait for this trip.

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**So, my question for the day is where would _you_ go to vacation (if you could) right now?**

**Mine would be either Quebec or France :)**


	2. San Francisco

"Welcome everyone aboard to San Francisco, California. The time is currently eleven in the morning and the weather is at about sixty degrees. No one is to move about the cabin until told to do so."

Alli and I both squealed as the intercom turned off. "California!" Alli giggled, opening the window shade to reveal the beautiful landscape beneath us. I couldn't believe that Alli and I would soon be walking downtown San Francisco, shopping bags in our hands with new places to discover. More importantly, I would be able to just have the best week of my life being carefree.

The plane slightly shook as we landed, sending my adrenaline higher. I couldn't help but giggle with my friend while our overexcitement stayed with us until the plane stopped moving.

"San Francisco!" We laughed in unison, not caring who heard us. "This is going to be great; thanks for bringing me, Alli."

Alli rolled her eyes. "I know that you would do that same for me." She laughed, and I smiled carelessly. We had been best friends for so long that we would do anything for each other.

We took our bags from the upper compartments, heading down to where the drivers were waiting. "I already called the driver; he said that he was here already." My eyebrows rose as I watched Alli walk to the driver holding a _Bhandari_ sign. I didn't know how much Alli's parents had done for us to go onto this trip; going on trips without parents was a hard task, especially when bringing a friend.

The driver talked to Alli, taking in her small appearance; he probably was wondering why two teenage girls were by themselves in a different country, but Alli didn't seem to notice. She kept her smile bright while they talked before he led us to the car.

"Which hotel are we staying at?" I asked, and Alli handed me one of the pamphlets. The Marriot Hotel; I had never heard of it before, but of course my family wasn't one to travel. Darcy would always get sick on the planes.

"So, what should we do first?" Alli asked herself, looking through the shopping centers.

"Why don't we go on the trolley?" I asked, and Alli smiled in approval.

"That would be a good idea; get to know the city." I nodded my head, looking out the window.

I hoped that Eli was having a good time, wherever he was, and I hoped that he had already moved on. I hadn't. I still longed to see him once again so that I could make sure that he was happy, and to see that I should move on, too. I didn't like blindly shooting, guessing that he _had_ moved on, because maybe there was a chance-

"Clare!" Alli exclaimed. I blinked, noticing that we were at the front of the hotel, waiting for me to step out of the car. The suitcases were already pulled out from the back, and the driver shot me an annoyed glance.

Alli rolled her eyes as I grabbed my suitcase. "What?" I asked, completely oblivious.

"You need to forget about your past." She repeated, and I nodded.

"It's just so hard to forget. How can you do it so easily?"

Alli laughed. "It takes time to forget; you have to forgive first."

My eyebrows rose as I thought of how many times that she needed to forgive before she could forget; Johnny wasn't the easiest to get over from and neither was Drew. Both had left fairly large imprints on Alli.

"So I was thinking we just leave our suitcases in the room and then we go to Bay and Taylor Street for the trolley." Alli said, pressing the button on the elevator. I agreed with her, still wondering how long it took her to plan what we were going to do for this trip.

I followed Alli's footsteps while she walked up the road to Bay and Taylor Street. The streets were busy with people walking about, laughing and chatting with people they came with. A smile enveloped on my face as I saw the happy atmosphere that was held in San Francisco.

Alli didn't seem baffled, but I sure was when I saw the line for the trolley extending towards the other side of the road. "How are we going to get through this?" I exclaimed, and Alli shrugged.

"I heard that the lines for the trolleys were always like this here; it's the best tourist attraction."

"You could say that again." I said under my breath, laughing to myself at how long the line was.

Alli sat on the cold, steel lining that acted as a banister while people waited, dangling her feet underneath her. I joined her.

"So how are we going to get you to flirt again?" Alli asked mischievously. I could feel terror start to fall in place.

"Please don't start this." I pleaded, but she shook her head.

"No, Clare. You need a fresh start! I'm going to help you with that."

I rolled my eyes. "Alli, you always say that, but instead you find _yourself _someone."

Alli laughed, feigning shock. "I do not! I will always be there for you when you need it, and _this_ is one of those times!"

I smiled, ignoring her comments. In the end, I knew that she was going to forget about me and find someone to flirt with.

But in the end, I'd be happy for her.

"Adam?" Alli shouted, and my eyes widened. Adam was here?

Adam halted and stood from where he was, mirroring my expression. "When did you guys get here?"

Alli ran up to him, giggling while she embraced him into a hug. Adam laughed lightly. "Nice to see you too, Alli."

I stayed in line, watching as my two best friends chatted together. I enjoyed seeing how well they could get along together.

Alli and Adam walked towards me, and I stood awkwardly as Adam and I exchanged our hellos.

"Did you come here by yourself?" I asked, and he shook his head. I could tell that he was getting nervous.

"Nah, my family came here, too." Adam glanced at the floor before his eyes met mine. "How are you?" He asked, and I understood what he meant.

I shook my head, faking a smile. "I'm fine, Adam."

Adam sighed, relieved that I was doing alright.

If only he knew.

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**That concludes today's update.**

**I still want to see where you guys would go on vacation if you could right now; plain curiosity.**

**And to chauncy424: It's very ironic how when I _just _finish pre-reading this chapter, I get your review. But I love San Francisco.**


	3. A Change of Pace

After a few days Alli decided that I was able to walk around San Fran by myself; I thanked her hundreds of times in my head. Nothing was wrong with Alli, but she just seemed to do only what _she_ wanted to do; my opinion didn't matter.

The trolley was an enjoyable ride since there weren't many people on early in the morning; a few of the passengers were seated on the inner part of the trolley. I decided to sit on the outside. I let my legs dangle off the sides, as if I were to fall off if anyone pushed me from behind. I liked living on the edge of danger when I was by myself.

It didn't take long for the trolley to come downtown; I had decided that I would get to know where the good places to eat were so I could bring Alli sometime. It wasn't too hard; many of the good places were in secluded areas, all near one another.

I did, however, see the sketchy parts of the downtown area; some eerie streets seemed isolated, and it wasn't too exciting to be walking down streets with no one else.

A group of boys were laughing like hyenas on one of the streets, annoying me. I had seen these boys before, hitting on an older woman; it was so rude and disrespectful how they treated her as if she was a prize. If it had to get any worse, I had to walk past them in order to get back to the trolleys.

"Hey, pretty lady." A boy slurred from the group. I rolled my eyes, not bothering to acknowledge him. He was the one that always seemed to make the first move on whoever approached them.

I attempted walking in front of the boy, but instead he cut me off. "Excuse me." I harshly said to him, attempting to push him out of the way.

"Intimacy, hmm? I can deal with that." His breath became more distinct as his face grew closer to mine. On instinct, I punched him as hard as I could right square in the face before walking again.

I could hear them talking under there breath, which sent my heart to quicken its pace; I knew what they were talking about. I had seen this before so many times, I just wished I knew that I would be in that situation; I would've paid more attention.

If there was any time to pray, now would be the time. The boy was still running after me, but now so was one of his friends. I was brought to the end of the block, and all of a sudden my mind became blurred; I didn't know which way led to the trolley.

"God, now would be the time to help me." I murmured under my breath, taking a right down a street that I had never seen.

I ran anyways, as fast as I could like a bat out of hell. I was in no mood to get kidnapped on my vacation; I could already hear how many lectures I would receive from Alli when I would be found—if I was found.

I gulped; I never thought that death could be so close to you, just in the midst of a second. Danger was one thing, but death I couldn't manage with. I turned my head to see the boy slowing down, laughing in the same obnoxious way as before. I didn't understand why though until I ran into one of the boys.

I was a dear in headlights, looking up at the boy. I hadn't seen him with the group before, but I could tell that he was the strongest of them all. The veins of his arms popped out in an unpleasant way, screaming _"get away"_ but I couldn't move. My legs were frozen.

"Where ya goin'?" He asked; why did they all have to be drunk?

"Away from you all." My voice wavered, and he chuckled. His dark hair was placed in all directions, and he looked very tired but he seemed to know what was going on. I wondered if they did this often.

"I don't think so." He said, gripping my arm. I felt nauseated as I smelt the booze once again.

"Let go of me!" I yelled, attempting to scream. He placed his hand over my mouth, muffling the sound. I had only gotten one second of evidence that I was in trouble.

I felt a tear fall down my cheek, not knowing that I was crying before. I had never been more terrified in my life.

Things slowed instantly; I felt a sharp object at my neck, and I didn't dare move—I was caught. I was now the prey.

"Speak once, and you'll die." He whispered through my ear, sending shivers down my spine.

_ELI_

The thoughts roamed around in my head over and over again, sending me into a trance. _"Clare and Alli are here," Adam stated, plopping down onto one of the beds. My eyes widened drastically.  
"What?" I almost yelled, and Adam rolled his eyes._

"_You heard me." He said, and Drew looked stunned also._

"_Alli's here?" He asked; he seemed to have forgotten that Clare was here, also. It annoyed me to no end; Alli had dumped him and Clare had only been nice to him since._

"_Did they say where they were going?" I asked, and he shook his head._

"_Just downtown." He stated, seeming bored with the subject._

_Before the two could ask, I was already out the door, running to the elevator. The damn elevators took so long to respond here! I really wished that Adam would've let me choose the hotel._

I didn't find her; neither of the two, in fact. They could be anywhere; I just needed to find out _where_. I had been thinking about the time that Clare and I would meet once again for a week now; I was determined to find her. I knew that I could've called her, but Adam's family created a "no cell phone" policy, forcing me to leave my phone at home.

"I'm going for a walk." I stated to Adam, who hummed in response. It was still early, but I couldn't get any more sleep.

The chilly air was manageable, since it was nothing compared to Toronto. I shrugged farther into my coat, looking around the hotel areas.

I didn't see much of anyone for a few minutes; most of the people were at the Bay area, smiling and laughing. I was surely hoping that would be what Clare and I would be like when we saw each other again. I was disappointed that Clare was so close, and yet I couldn't find her. Or Alli. It was like something bad had happened to the two, but I managed to get that thought out of my head before I freaked over nothing.

If there was any trouble with one of the two, Adam, Drew, and I would know.

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**You guys hate me yet?**

**I want to get about 14 reviews before the next chapter; that's my challenge for you guys ;)**

**And my newest question is what's on your Christmas list? It's only twenty four days away you guys!**


	4. Nowhere to Be Found

Clare couldn't see much around her; she barely could see a foot in front of her. She felt around the floor, her breathing still heavy. She never thought that this would happen to her.

She could still feel where the blade had threatened the skin of her neck, and it still frightened her. Clare fought the urge to swallow while a bruise enveloped.

She easily found her shirt, but that was the only thing that she could feel around her. She simply started to cry as she sat down, only in her undergarments. She knew he would be back by the end of the day, or by the morning; she couldn't tell what time it was anymore. She had been so out of it that she didn't care to keep track of time.

Making sure she wasn't heard, she silently sobbed to herself, praying to God that someone would find her and get her life back on track.

A sudden light appeared in the room from where the door was. Clare kept the image in her head to make sure she knew where it was once it was dark again in the small room.

Clare looked up at the boy in front of her, seeing that he was stunned that this girl was in this room, not knowing who she was. He had never seen her before.

"What the hell…" He wandered off, shouting to someone named Jake. The boy, who Clare feared the most, ran over to him.

"Yeah?" He asked, and then her grinned menacingly towards Clare. She could feel the tears overflowing, but faster.

"Who is this?" He asked, waving his hand towards Clare.

Jake seemed to just laugh. "Her? Oh, she's just keeping me company right now. Right?"

Clare didn't know what to do; if she nodded, she'd wish she would suddenly die. If she didn't, though, she could get hurt. Worse.

Clare nodded, looking regretful. She wanted to speak, but she couldn't.

The boy's mouth opened and closed several times before he asked, "Then why does she look so depressed to be here?" Jake shifted his weight, from one foot to the other.

Jake then shrugged. "She had a bad fight with her family; she's not quite over it yet."

Clare looked at him dumbfounded. She opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out but air.

The boy raised an eyebrow, letting the silence overwhelm Clare. "Really?" He asked, skeptical. Clare silently listened to the two go on about her presence in the room, and she saw that Jake was getting annoyed.

"Listen, if you don't want her in here, I can take us somewhere else." Clare's eyes nearly shot out of her head, wishing to be able to protest. But the look on Jake's face was so, revengeful, that she couldn't do anything but freeze in place.

He looked over at Jake before saying, "Fine. But if you're not telling the truth, then you're kicked out of here, man."

Jake looked back at Clare who was now shaking. "Get your clothes on." He said harshly, leaving the door open just the slightest.

Clare sobbed over and over, asking God if he could just grant her one wish—to let Eli find her.

_ELI_

I grinned to myself; I had remembered that the hotel had internet access! I could finally communicate with people other than the Torres family, without them even knowing!

I logged on fairly quickly, since the hotel was new. Everything seemed to be new; the furniture, the rooms, the elevators—everything. But that's what I would expect on vacation.

I smirked menacingly as the login was a success. I was free!

I hurried to log onto my email to see the wondrous emails Cece sent me that I couldn't get for the time being. She sent some worried messages, but didn't overdo it like most parents; she knew about the Torres' "tradition".

The bell from the front door rings throughout the lobby, and I can't help but look up to see Alli's distraught figure walking towards the elevators.

"Alli." I said, and she instantly turned. I guess I was who she wanted to see.

I expected her to smile, but instead she looked frantic. She ran towards me. "Have you seen Clare?" She said all too fast, but I could translate enough of the message. My smirk dropped.

I shook my head, and Alli looked like she was going to cry. "She left yesterday for the trolley, and I haven't even heard from her! I thought she'd come in late or something, so I went to sleep but her bed is still made."

My eyes widened. "Where the hell is she then?" I asked, and Alli cried, "I don't know! That's why I'm here; I need your help."

I could feel the flashbacks coming into my head of how many times Julia would run away from her parents; she would run to my house while her parents quickly called everyone they knew. But Clare wouldn't do this; she was alone in a tourist attraction.

I jumped up from my seat, running through the hotel doors with Alli right behind me. She was lucky not to be wearing heels.

"Have you seen a girl, about this high and has brown curly hair?" The shake of a head sent me to think the worst; Clare possibly could've been kidnapped. I had been doing this for hours, and I still didn't have any witnesses who saw Clare. I didn't know San Francisco well enough to know where things like this would happen, but I surely knew that it wasn't somewhere close to the Bay.

I swallowed hard; what if they drowned Clare in the Bay? What if they got away with it? I felt Alli's hand on my shoulder, making my thoughts pause.

"Don't think the worst; Clare probably wasn't drowned." Had I said that aloud?

Great. Now I was loosing my mind. I shook my head, my weary eyes looking into Alli's. "I don't know where she is," I said. "I mean, yeah, we broke up, but I still have feelings for her. And I can't help but think of how she can disappear like J-" I choked on the word, putting my face into my hands.

Alli nodded. "I know, but history does _not_ repeat; it moves forward. We won't let anything happen to Clare." She sternly said, and although I felt horrible, I couldn't help but feel her calm my mind.

"Wherever she is, we'll find her; and those people will go to Hell—I'll make sure of it."

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**Drama, drama, drama galore!**

**Well, at least soon :)**

**6 more reviews and the next chapter goes up; which means that the total should be 20—my OCD wants the number to be even.**

**What are your guesses on what'll happen to Clare?**


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